Online Dating Guide for Women

As a busy career professional and single gal , you probably find most of your nights devoted to meetings, spreadsheets and PowerPoints. You wonder how you will ever find time to hit the gym, let alone have a social life. You have pondered the idea of going online, and even know of a few "friends of friends" who have found love online. Those late night Taco bell drive by's are getting old and you can't remember when you felt those butterflies before a first date. "What the heck," you say. "Why not give it a try" With that, you boldly post your profile online. After a several days of searching, e-mailing, winking and even a live call, you are ready for your first big "Coffee Date" at Starbucks.

You settle into your cushy chair and try to look natural. Wow, Jeff20252 looked even better than his photos! You peer over the rim of your Carmel Macchiato and secretly wonder if your children will have his amazing blue eyes! After sharing an hour of spectacular conversation, you part ways with a sweet hug and nearly skip to your car thinking about your date next weekend. Images of that sexy black dress in the window at Bebe pop into your mind. Definitely what you will wear on that first real date!

Three days later and you are starting to worry. You still have not had a call from Jeff to confirm your date. You felt fireworks on your coffee date and you know he did too! You conclude that he is just super busy and hope he will call later on. Wednesday evening and still no call. You are bewildered and wonder if Jeff is in the hospital having an emergency appendectomy. You contemplate making a call to him, but hold off. Thursday and the weekend is almost here. Still no call. Maybe he is REALLY in the hospital. That could be the only reason he has not called and asked you out for Saturday. You are no "last minute" girl, and if he wants a date for the weekend, it is today or nothing!

Monday morning. Your eyes dart towards your new black dress on the hanger and you curse. You hope Jeff REALLY was in the hospital, because that was the only excuse you will accept from him for standing you up.

If you are an online dater, this frustrating scenario is most likely very familiar to you. But don't be discouraged and give up on the process altogether. If you keep some tips in mind, you will keep your self-esteem intact and your morale up when venturing into the world of online dating.

A Gals Online Dating Survival Guide

1- Be Proactive: You have self-selected to be on a dating site, so congratulations for taking the initiative. Now do not wait for potential matches to contact you; take the initiative and conduct searches and send e-mails. This is not the forum to sit back and be coy.

2- Be Responsive: When someone of interest sends you an e-mail, send one back promptly. The usual mindset of "wait three days because we don't want to look anxious" does not apply here. You want to be on his radar and vice-versa.

3- Use your Good Judgment: See the process for what it is. Online dating sites offer you an opportunity to meet more people that you would normally come into contact with. Just as in everyday life, you still need to use your good judgment. There are some amazing people online, and there are also people who misrepresent themselves.

4- Don't Take Things Personally: In the perfect world, people would be open to giving feedback and speaking with honesty. If something was not to our liking or if a potential match was not the best fit, we would let the other person know with respect and tact. Unfortunately, this does not always happen, and as a result, you are left with a men saying "I 'll call you" and never following through. Try not to take this personally. This is just a simple example of someone being inconsiderate or avoiding anything potentially unpleasant.

5-Have Several Options: Have several matches in your queue and avoid a "one at a time" evaluation process. If one date does not meet your expectations, you will still have another one or two scheduled.

6- Budget your time: You could end up spending hours each day on the searching and e-mailing process. Give yourself a set amount of time (say 30 minutes in the evening) for processing.

7- Keep it Short and Sweet: Meeting for coffee may seem trite, but there is a reason why it is common for a first "date." You are simply seeing if there is a connection and if you want to get to know one another further. Therefore, unlike having a meal or going for a drink, you can have coffee in 30-minutes. If there is a connection, GREAT. If not, you can part ways and not have a huge investment of your time.